Hi,
I'm just wondering if anyone has used one of these cards? If so, i would love to know how u found it!! was thinking about getting one for my europe trip in August!!

Thanks xx

I used one of these cards a few years ago in Scandinavia - they are really good. You can use them at any ATM to withdraw money in the currency of the country you are in, I am pretty sure now you can even use them at shops where they take EFTPOS just like any ATM card. The fees they charge are quite reasonable and you can top up while you are away using BPAY etc, you can also check balance etc on their website and they are valid for three years so you can use on your next trip if you go again in that time. If you do it through a travel agent they will charge you a fee to do it, but if you just go to Travelex website and do it yourself you may save some money - I would do it myself, it isn't very hard. I would recommend one, and at least if you loose it they can't get access to any more money than what is on the card if they manage to find out your pin, unlike credit or debit card where they can take heaps of money!

I haven't used one but I read a bit about them on the internet and read many bad reviews about hidden fees and commissions and that not all ATMs take them (perhaps shouldn't rely on internet reviews but a lot of people seem to have problems with them)

Im planning on getting the card for my trip in afew weeks they seem like a good idea plus you get two cards with drifferent pin numbers so if you lose one you will still be able to use the other card you have while your travelling.

i got travelex cards in both pound and euro currencys for my trip to europe. i was away for 3 months and i didn't have any problems and could use them at any ATM i went to in 17 countries including in eastern europe. the transaction fees were considerably less than what some people got charged from their banks back home, you don't have to worry about conversion fees and you can top up whenever you need to. i would recommend them to anyone.

Hey Jess I dont know where you are from but with the Commonwealth bank in Australia they have just got a new card much the same as a travelex card but with this one you can put up to 6 different currencys on it, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Pound, and Euro, so it saves having a card for each currency. I havent got one but will definitely be getting one for my trip

I highly recomment Travelex Card.
I travelled around Europe on Contiki and also by myself for nearly two months and I was able to use this in any country at any time with any ATM. Which in some cases was an issue for contiki travllers who had standard VISA's with there Bank. They proceeded to have trouble getting money out in a few countries, Slovenia, Hungary etc etc.

Travelex was quite good, apart from not being able to use on EFTPOS machines and seeing the balance on the ATM, but this allowed me to keep track of my spending and also budget compared to being able to swipe my card anytime etc.

It takes two days to load money onto the card, so you have to be aware of your spending. It also helps that whatever ATM you use in a certain country it gives you that currency, which is helpful instead of always going to a exchange and getting ripped off.

Goodluck, Happy travelling.

Because my bank card charges $4.20 for every overseas transaction plus a conversion fee (gets expensive!!), I have just spent ages trying to find out the best way to take and use money overseas to avoid fees and charges.

These prepaid travel cards (inc. Travelex card, Visa Travel Card etc) are especially good for the security and peace of mind they offer. And the fees and charges are likely to be similar to that charged by most bank cards.

But there can be ways to avoid fees and charges for overseas transcations:

Wizard Clear Advantage Mastercard' (Australians) is a credit card that does not charge anything for overseas transactions. You can also load it up with money and therefore use it as a debit card, taking money out from ATMs for free. From what I have read the currency conversion rates are very competitive too.

Alternatively, a bank that offers a relatively good deal is NAB with the Gold Visa Debit card: this has a monthly fee of $10 but there are no fees or charges when using it overseas.

For short term travel it is probably safer and relatively easy to use prepaid cards, but these other options may better suit people staying overseas for a long time!

So, this card can be used like a debit or credit car at resturants, stores, etc? And there are no fees for that use, just for withdrawing money?

Almost got a travelex card but pulled out at last minute...go with the banks i reckon. i Just got a comm bank one and i know ANZ and NAB do them aswell. works the same as travelex, but you will always get a better conversion rate with the banks ( we saved around $300 by chossing commbank over travlex with ur first reload!) fees are generally the same. Reload by bpay over the phone or on the net. Travelex u can only pull out money from an ATM, Commbank card tou can use it as eftpos free of charge... i leave in 1 week to europe and am glad i didnt go travelex!

We sell travelex cards at the credit society i work at, they're really good.
To purchase them, all it costs is 1.1% of the initial amount you load onto them (minimum $15 AUD), you get two cards (both linked to the same 'account'), the exchange rate is locked, so you don't pay a conversion fee from Visa every time you make a purchase, it cost $3.75 AUD to withdraw (so aprox $2.25 USD) from ATM's.

They have two different types of card, one is just an ATM card (you cannot use it in the shops, just ATM's) and the other is a visa debit type card that you can make purchases with as well as using ATM's.
These are accepted where ever VISA is accepted and are not attached to your bank account. You can change you PIN on the cash passport website and check transaction history and all that.

They're so simple to use, you don't have to be 18 to get the ATM card, just the visa debit card and (this is the best bit for me...) if you lose your card/s they can be replaced normally within 24 hours, depending on your location, generally in big cities 24hrs is not a problem, it is just if you are in a rural area (and travelex has a 24 hr a day support hotline)

Any other questions just send me a message and i will try to answer them for you

I've just got a Wizard Clear Advantage credit card. Its available over the internet in Australia. There are no fees at all with this card except a $2 withdrawel fee.
Heaps of people i know use this card and its the best way to avoid fees. U can load eg. $5000 onto it in credit and not use it as a credit card. Thats what we're doing on tour )